Tour of America’s Dairyland Stage 1: Shorewood Criterium Cycling Classic
The kick off to this years series started with a day for the men’s and women’s Pro, Cat 1 and Cat2 field. All category racing starts on stage 2, in Thiensville for the Fiddleheads Coffee Criterium.
The mens race took off with gusto as riders launched off the front in pursuit of early cash primes. The primes calls were never far between which kept the pace high for the first 40min or so. Our goal was to get Ajers and Anderson off for the primes while McAllister, Frye, and Paquette watched the front to follow counter attacks into a possible break. With the primes flying freely the field wasn’t letting the leash out too far and everything was pulled back quickly. With the group feeling the burn and only half way through the race, the pace dropped, causing the field to bunch coming into the turns. Physics in play, riders in the back were forced to nearly track stand on occasion and coming out of the turn was like trying to motor-pace a champaign cork rocketing out of a bottle after a podium celebration. With about 5 laps to go a crash coming into turn 3 help release a 4-man break. With 3 to go the gap was 15 sec. Holding on for the win was Ryan Freund (Verizon U-25 Cycling Team p/b ABD and Universal Sports) followed by the 2009 Tour of America’s Dairyland Overall Champion Chad Hartley (Kenda Pro Cycling p/b GEARGRINDER). Jumping from the field to round off the podium was 2008 US Criterium Champion Rahsaan Bahati (Bahati Foundation).
Results:
1. FREUND, RYAN Verizon U25 p/b ABD
2. HARTLEY, CHAD Kenda pres. by Geargrinder
3. BAHATI, RAHSAAN Bahati Foundation
4. CRATER, ANDREW Aero Cycling
5. ALEDIA, MARCO Inferno Cycling